


No Monster Here

by Galpaladin



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Rare Pairings, Sharing a Bed, Tenderness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:33:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25686613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Galpaladin/pseuds/Galpaladin
Summary: Two reviled girls quickly discover they have much in common.
Relationships: Marianne von Edmund & Hapi, Marianne von Edmund/Hapi
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22





	No Monster Here

"Alright, Blue. You know I can see you, right?" 

At just the sound of Hapi's voice, Marianne shrank away, quick to busy herself on contemplating a haystack. 

'Not even close to convincing,' Hapi thought with frustration.

This new ritual had started a week prior on her second venture from the Abyss for a bit of fresh air and fresh curiosity. After exhausting herself of exploring the wilderness surrounding Garreg Mach, she found herself relaxing at evening in the stables often, largely because it was void of questioning mouths and peering eyes. 

Well. Except for one. 

Marianne was always there in the evening, studiously cleaning and grooming. Though she would take the occasional pause to sneak a look at her, Marianne left her alone, just as she liked it. 

As the week had gone by, though, Hapi found herself more and more intrigued by her behavior until curiosity finally got the best of her.

"What's with you anyway?" There was sharpness in her tone, "It's pretty rude to stare." 

"S-sorry!" Marianne's soft voice disarmed her anger almost immediately, "I just, uh.. The horses seem to like you. That's why you're here, right?"

"I guess?" 

She elaborated, “I just thought it was a great place to nap. Plenty of shade, hay, and fresh air. The horses are nice, too.”

Pulling herself up, Hapi stretched into a silent yawn.

‘So much for my nap,’ she frowned, forcing back a sigh of frustration. Marianne's eyes were still upon her. 

"Do you need help or something? You’re out here all the time.”

No answer. The sun was beginning to set over the horizon and their shadows cast long against their surroundings. Soon it would be down and Hapi with it. 

“That’s not fair they stick you with horse duty everyday,” Hapi remarked dryly, filling in the spaces Marianne left blank.

“No, actually, I volunteer. I like the horses.” 

Of course she did. Hapi recalled a time or two that her naps lulled her into a dreamy state, she swore she could hear Marianne speaking fondly to them. At the time, she dismissed it, but now it seemed more plausible. 

“Oh,” undeterred, she pressed further, “Am I disturbing you then? What’s the deal?”

Abruptly, Marianne dropped her brush and quickly crossed the yard for feed. There was a pink shade to her cheeks and she was obviously flustered.

‘Weird girl,’ Hapi thought, perplexed.

Maybe she should find somewhere else to nap in the afternoons? There was a good tree just outside the village..

“Is it true?”

“Huh?”

Marianne had interrupted her train of thought and startled her. Though her voice was soft, her gaze was intense. And sad.

“What do you mean?” 

She had a feeling that she knew exactly what this was about now. 

“That when you sigh..”

“Monsters come running? Yep. Don’t worry, I’m not going to.”

Of course. Yet another bratty noble here to pique their curiosity, it seems. That explained everything. She was already finished with the conversation and it had hardly started.

“I-I know! I thought that-”

Something about the trembling in her voice gave Hapi pause where normally she’d take leave. She was fidgeting with her hands furiously.

“If you know, then why are you asking?”

That.. came out a little more harshly than she intended. The rumors had trailed her like a shadow everywhere she went. For once, it would be nice to have a conversation that didn’t start on such a sore subject. 

“Forgive me.. I need to go.”

Marianne reacted just like she expected- absconding, face flush. 

Marianne. As Hapi watched her slip into the monastery, guilt began to pang at her. She tried to think of a single time Marianne had spoken to anyone and fruitlessly came to the conclusion that in all her time soaking sun outside the stable, she could not recall her speaking to anyone at all.

...and now she wasn't likely to, again. Withholding a sigh, Hapi forced herself up and after her. At the very least, she could apologize. 

The monastery was still a labyrinth to her, but Hapi relented and finally found her praying fastidiously at the altar. 

The evening light filtered through the stained glass above them both, casting an ethereal glow in the otherwise empty cathedral. If the church were anything but a sick joke to her, Hapi would appreciate her surroundings. 

She faltered, wondering if she should come back later. There was no telling how long Marianne purported to whisper her regrets away. 

Just as she made her mind to leave, Marianne turned, her face a deep, sickly pallor. 

"Hey, Blue. Sorry about earlier, I-"

There was weakness in Marianne's stance and she wavered there as if her feet may give any moment. 

Hapi's body reacted before her mind did- catching the girl mid fall before she could meet the cold cathedral floor. Her weight was light and Hapi was able to lead her to a pew with little effort. 

"Are you sick? Do I need to get someone for you?"

Hapi bent over to peer into the girl's face and touch her cheek with a gentle hand.

'No fever.. a bit clammy,' she noted. Surely she didn't frighten the girl into a panic?

"Ngh.." Marianne's voice was a guttural rasp, "No.. I'm fine. I just need help back to my room."

"Your room. Okay. I can do that. Can you walk? I'm not sure if I can carry you all the way."

"I can walk. I'm just.. unsteady."

"Okay, just.." Hapi reached for her, clasping hands and pulling her upright. She then lended her shoulder for support which Marianne took gladly, leaning in as she took her first unstable steps.

It had been a long time since she had human contact like this. She tried to put it back in the farthest corner of her kind, but as they made steady progress, Hapi appreciated the brief warmth and sincerity that came with helping another person. 

It was nice. And Marianne was very beautiful. As they continued down the bridge connecting the cathedral to the main nucleus of the monastery, Marianne leaned into her, her breath slowing from pained hiccups to something much more steady. 

"You feeling better?" Hapi murmured, careful to not suddenly startle her. 

"Um," Marianne's voice was still shaky, barely audible beyond the evening breeze, "Yes.. a little. My room is upstairs.. I don't mean to bother but.."

"Don't worry about it! I'll get you there, Blue," Hapi assured her, but admitted, "You'll have to show me though. I've never been upstairs."

The halls were largely empty thanks to a rousing feast and for that, Hapi was thankful. The last thing she wanted was some well-meaning, hapless knight offering his aid.

As they made their way to the stairs, Hapi assessed them quickly and came to the conclusion that it might just be best if she carried her up them. 

"Ugh, here we go," she muttered, readjusting her stance a little wider. Marianne caught on quickly, looped her arms around her neck, and shifted her weight so that Hapi could easily scoop her up.

"Here?" 

They had finally reached Marianne's door just as Hapi began losing steam. It was much past her usual bedtime. Despite that, though, she didn’t mind. It was rare to feel someone else’s touch without immediate recoil. 

"Yes, this is it." 

Upon opening the door, Hapi was immediately struck by the immaculate cleanliness of Marianne's room. It was almost as if no one lived there. She crossed the threshold carefully, as not to track in mud, and gently set Marianne safely onto her bed. 

The color had returned to her, but she still seemed nervous and weak. She shivered miserably, wrung her hands over and over again, and opened her mouth as if to speak but no words came out.

"Is there anything I can get for you?" Hapi's mind was still reeling at Marianne's strange behavior. Worry beset upon her. 

"Sorry, I-I just haven’t eaten.."

“Haven’t eaten?”

Hapi instinctively reached for her pocket, for the day’s worth of berries and plums she had plucked from the woods, but stopped.

“There’s plenty here to eat. Why aren’t you eating?”

It was hard not to sound accusatory, but it didn’t make much sense. The students up here ate so much better than anyone down in Abyss. 

Marianne sat rigidly, eyes on her feet, for a long moment until Hapi bent down to meet her gaze.

“Hey,” she softened her voice and smiled, fishing out her supper in a peaceable offer, “Let’s share. You don’t have to tell me what’s going on. Just eat.”

Something seemed familiar about Marianne. Maybe it was the fear or the isolation? Whatever the cause, it pulled Hapi’s heartstrings. Sensing her goodwill, Marianne relented and accepted her offer, plucking a few berries from her grasp- and then finally a handful.

She could fill Coco in later on what became of her harvest. They could cook pastries another day.

“I shouldn’t have done that,” Marianne admitted quietly, “I couldn’t stand to be around everyone, so I had been skipping meals.”

“Yeah? I’m not much for people either,” Hapi replied, pausing to suck berry juice from her fingertips, “There’s an overgrown orchard over by the edge of the forest. You can usually find a lot to eat there.”

“I’ll try looking for that sometime,” Marianne finally let her shoulders drop to a more relaxed position, “The horses deserve fresh treats sometimes.”

Hapi sat down cross-legged in front of her and quickly busied herself on an apple, nodding thoughtfully. That wasn’t quite what she meant.. But it was a start. 

“The horses, huh?” She feigned interest behind a mouthful of fruit, “You like horses, right? What’s the one you’re always with?”

There it was. Recognition flashed in Marianne’s eyes, a far cry away from the outset of self-loathing she wore earlier. Eagerly, Marianne told her the horse’s name and age, then his favorite treats and where he preferred petting. Hapi listened dutifully and silently kept handing her food until she felt satisfied that the girl had enough. 

The color was returned to her cheeks, but she still trembled, Hapi noted. She didn’t feel comfortable leaving quite yet.

“Should I get, uhhh,” Hapi tried to recall the healer’s name and failed, “...the boobs lady- I mean, the nurse? What’s her name?”

‘Good going, you useless lesbian,’ Hapi thought aside. 

Her misstep brought a smile to Marianne’s face. 

“No, that’s alright. I should get to sleep. I, um..”

She hesitated. Marianne’s mouth opened and closed again as she tried to form words that would not come. 

“Hapi, do you mind staying a little longer?” 

The words that finally formed on her lips were pleading, desperate. Marianne reached for her and clung to her wrist. 

"Please? I’m cold."

Hapi certainly felt a warm blush in her cheeks. 

Guilt still churned in her stomach and she regretted her sharp words from earlier. Seeking to make amends, she tucked the girl in and pulled a seat to her side, watching as Marianne's trembles slowly subsided.

"It's a touchy subject," Hapi finally admitted to her, unsure if Marianne could even hear her in her half-sleeping state, "I get tired of the judgement. I get tired of the questions. Sorry I took it out on you."

"No, I understand," Marianne's voice, at first leaden with slumber, quickly found pace, "I-I didn't ask to make you feel uncomfortable. It's just.."

She trailed off, losing her nerve, then finding it again, "I'm like you. I have a.. a curse."

"A curse like mine?" Hapi tried and failed to hide the disbelief in her voice, "I find that a little hard to believe coming from a noble girl." 

Marianne quieted and her countenance darkened. 

"I'm a monster. I'm sure if you sighed right now, I'd.."

She cut herself off in a wet sob and pulled the covers over her face. Muffled, she continued, "I don't know why I'm telling you this. I just hoped you'd understand. I hate what I am and I pray every day for relief." 

Hapi did understand. Gods, did Hapi understand. All that time in captivity, regretting leaving her forest home, only to be freed- at a terrible, terrible cost. 

She knew how it felt to have fearful eyes upon her. She knew what it was not to belong. 

"Hey, Blue, scoot over."

All that time she just wanted a single friend. 

Marianne obliged, emerging from underneath her blanket with a red, tear-stained face as Hapi climbed in beside her. 

Clumsily, she reached for her, pulling her into a comforting embrace and held her there until the sobbing ceased. 

"I don't have a lot of words," Hapi admitted, drawing her in, "I do know a song I used to sing when I had those thoughts."

It was a lullaby her mother taught her. She no longer remembered the words, but the melody was still as clear as day. Humming it brought her from the brink of despair to a place where she was safe, loved, and comfortable. 

It was nice to hum it to someone else, she found. Continuing the melody, she smoothed back Marianne's hair and set her forehead against her own. She sang and sang until she was sure Marianne was asleep. Even then, she continued a little longer just for herself.

Her thoughts gave quickly to sleepiness at the rise and fall of Marianne's breath. Instead of overthinking the situation, she allowed herself to accept another person's touch as it was: kind and warm and gentle. 

Nevermind that she was a complete stranger. Something about Marianne just felt trustworthy. As she finally drifted off, she pulled her in tighter.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, I had an idea and HAD to get it out of my head. Mostly I just want my favorite girls to be ok, so excuse my extremely self-indulgent tenderness over here.


End file.
